Congressman John McHugh had a choice to make Wednesday: Should he question Roger Clemens or Thomas Fingar?

For most Americans, Clemens is a familiar name -- the star pitcher who testified under oath at a congressional hearing on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

Roger Clemens, curveball expert

Thomas Fingar, Intelligence expert

But Fingar?

He's the U. S. deputy director of national intelligence for analysis, who testified Wednesday about global security threats at a meeting of the House Armed Services Committee.

The media horde and crowds followed Clemens, who attracted attention on Capitol Hill with spotlights and live TV coverage of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. McHugh ... chose Fingar.

Robert Taub, McHugh's chief of staff, said his boss decided the Armed Services Committee meeting -- happening at the exact time as the baseball hearing -- was more important.

"It was a full committee meeting to see what was going on in hot spots around the world," Taub said. McHugh "thought it was critical to be at the global security meeting. And it's impossible to be at two places at once."

As for the decision to skip the baseball hearing, Taub said McHugh did not let the attention over Clemens influence his decision. He said the congressman has never been one to "shy away from or jump in front of cameras."

"Whether or not cameras are there, he's always concerned about the substance of the issue," Taub said. "In this case, there were hearings on two important subjects going on at the same time. At the end of the day, he had to choose between the two."

So, while millions watched live as members of Congress grilled Clemens about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs, McHugh and his committee heard about the ongoing threats posed by Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and other nations.

McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, also heard from John A. Kringen, the director for intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency, and Robert Cardillo, deputy director for analysis at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

If he is re-elected this November, McHugh has a chance to move up to ranking Republican or even chairman -- if Republicans regain control of the House -- of the Armed Services Committee.

McHugh is currently the third-ranking Republican in seniority on the committee, but the two men ahead of him, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., plan to retire.